Speed Racer

[serak_the_preparer]

First Japanese cartoon I ever saw (way back before all the cartoon stuff so readily available now). Soon to be a movie.<br /><br /><br />First look: 'Speed Racer's' demon on wheels by Scott Bowles (USA TODAY)<br /><br /><br />Speed Racer (2008) (IMDb)<br /><br /><br /><i>Speed Racer</i> Details Released (SCI FI Wire)<br /><br /><i>Warner Brothers released a more detailed description of its upcoming live-action Speed Racer movie, from writer/directors Larry and Andy Wachowski and based on the animated TV series....</i><br /><br /><br />Wachowskis putting it together. Cast which includes Christina Ricci, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon, and Richard Roundtree, among others. Car that looks like this. One way or another, I'll be seeing this in 2008 (and hoping not to be disappointed!).

 

[yevaud]

<i>Warner Brothers released a more detailed description of its upcoming live-action Speed Racer movie, from writer/directors Larry and Andy Wachowski and based on the animated TV series.... </i><br /><br />This just plain dismays me. Pot-Odds, a 95 % chance they will mess this up. <img src="/images/icons/mad.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>

 

[serak_the_preparer]

Well, I think there's room for hope. From Greg's Preview:<br /><br /><b>12/15/06 -</b> <i>Having applied advanced university-level philosophy to the science fiction genre in their Matrix trilogy, and having produced the political treatise that was V for Vendetta, *of course* the next logical step in their career is to apply their reputation for visual gymnastics to... a kids movie! Admittedly, it's a kids movie based upon one of the strangest (in its way) early imports from Japan's (then) embryonic animation industry, Speed Racer, but still, it's hard to see how they could fit in some of their more obtuse viewpoints in here. And let's hope they don't, but if you look at this as just a racing movie (for kids) with their irrefutible directorial vision (regardless of what you think of their screenwriting), we could really be in for a treat. The reason Hollywood keeps making movies about racing is that speed looks cool on the big screen, what with the way perspectives can twist and distort at high speeds, something the Wachowski's should be very adept at showing us on the big screen. And I bet they'll just love working with a chimp.</i><br /><br />Seems like Greg may have shared some of your reservations at first. But, in the excerpt above, I think he's got it right.<br /><br /><i>Speed Racer</i> is a beloved classic cartoon, but it's still a cartoon. The simple stories were really excuses for plenty of adventure fun in what was at the time the coolest car any kid had ever seen. Where story is concerned, nothing too deep or complex was going on, so that bar has been set reasonably low. The Wachowskis should be able to clear it. Leaving the action and adventure fun. Luckily, this is something the brothers have shown they know how to do.<br /><</safety_wrapper>